I am envious of New Yorkers after reading of Steve Wolfe’s exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art: Steve Wolfe on Paper. Through Nov. 29, thirty paintings and drawings of books, album covers and records will be on view.
On the surface, the concept may not sound very interesting. But just look at the images below, from Steve Wolfe’s website:
Wolfe works in the trompe l’oeil style, and his creations appear to be real, 3D books. The exhibit copy from the Whitney states that
Wolfe’s objects are, in real life, ones that must be used and physically manipulated in some detailed way—books have every page turned, records every groove worn. . . Thus the tears, creases, and basic wear points to human contact. . .
New York Times art critic Ken Johnson wrote that
the painter and sculptor Steve Wolfe has taken his bibliophilia to unrivaled extremes. . . you sense in his art a kind of monkish devotion that turns feats of technique into icons of a deeply personal religion.
In a few years, perhaps Wolfe will portray a scuffed-up Nook. (Ha.)
Anyone in NYC plan on seeing the exhibit?
